OF mental health care and mentally ill

Why do some people have hearing voices?

Hearing voices are not common. They are typically associated with severe mental disorders:
• Schizophrenia. There will often be a long history of illness, usually more than six months.
• Manic–depressive illness. Typically, there is a history of sudden onset and of similar episodes in the past.
• Drug psychoses. These occur after intoxication with certain drugs, such as stimulant tablets and cocaine.
• Confusional states and brief psychoses. Confused and agitated people
may also hear voices and become suspicious.